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Sunday, October 16, 2011

MoFo, day 16: Split Pea Soup with Fennel and Potatoes - and Lunch Party

Hey guys! Fresh off the lunch party and into it. The party ended up being two of my oldest friends who I don't see often, G and I, and one of our friends from work. It was nice. No one's milk-drinking boyfriend came (the two of them broke up.)
The spread:

Crudites, paprika smoked almonds, peanuts from Jen's swap box, hummus, crackers with apple slices, grapes.
This was later compounded by the addition of farmers market pickles that my friend brought!! She knows what I like.
The main meal was kale salad (with avocado, tomato, red onion) and this tasty sandwich that G dreamed up:

White bean-basil spread, sundried tomatoes, grilled zucchini, and balsamic-cooked portabellas on a crusty loaf.
I also made a MoFo recipe, Sayward's Split Pea Soup with Fennel and Potatoes on her Bonzai Aphrodite site. This is a horrible picture, as split pea soups are wont to look:

Her site can really only be described as glorious. She's a wundermom, author, kick ass chick, and makes some great recipes. This soup was good and hearty. My one complaint is that I was super excited about the fennel flavor but it wasn't too prominent. I scaled down the recipe and it might have gotten lost in translation. I should have garnished the soup with some fronds (don't you love that word?),but I didn't. Let's just say that throwing a party makes me a little anxious. Just a little. Maybe I should whisper to worry dolls more often.
The meal was capped off with cookies by G:

Cranberry-Oatmeal-Pecan cookies. He done good. Ever since he realized that he can bake his own cookies, he's been all about it and I can't complain. I love not having to deal with oil and sugar, plus I am proud of him plusss his come out tasty since he doesn't skimp on...oil and sugar. Last time I baked cookies, I cut out so many ingredients that they weren't worthy to be deemed "cookies" anymore.
Anyway, I think this was a successful party! Everyone seemed to like the food and we had some good laughs. Even the cat behaved. Friends are nice. Food is too. Those are my words of wisdom.

It all looks and sounds so good, don't know where to begin! I love the sound of that sandwich...hats off to G!

Soup is a great idea for lunch/dinner parties...one I always overlook. Sounds like a good combo with the fennel. Cooked fennel is very mild-tasting, so maybe that's why the flavor wasn't as prominent as you would have liked.

Those cookies look like something out of a magazine...another hat off to G.

I noticed on Jessy's site that you missed my blog--it's been going all along with new vegan goodness every week! Check it at eatingappalachia.com. I need to get a redirect up on the site, but all the old recipes are there along with the new ones. :)

what a delicious spread! i'm totally gonna recreate that sammie - it looks awesome and sounds like a combination of excellence, fo 'sho! split pea soup always looks kinda funny, but i'm glad it tasted great! i'm not the biggest fan of fennel, so i leave it out, but that is kind of a bummer the flavor of it didn't come through. also - now i want cookies! yay!

Shen, ew. A nose is 3rd on the list of the worst orifices to have milk come out of.

Isobelle, do you soak your split peas first usually?

Ingrid, if you do make it, let me know what you think! It makes tons btw...

Rose, how many hats are you wearing?? Soups are pretty good to serve at parties, I've found. A little goes a long way and you can prepare it early in the day and just heat it up. It may not be super impressive, but most people seem to like it.

VAVA, thanks...haha if "wonderful hostess" means get up in the middle of a conversation to wash dishes because I'm too awkward to partake, then yes! I am!

Alessandra, hehe thanks! I will definitely be using more fennel soon.

Molly, thank you. I try.

Blessed Mama, thanks! Do check the blog out, she's great!!

Jes, thanks for letting me know! You have some great stuff on your new site too.

VB, yeah, the bread was definitely a treat...but a little hard on my mouth, ha.

Michelle, I put up a recipe today for the sandwich, if yr interested! It's easy stuff. Even I can do it.

Jessy, it'd be interesting to see you do the sandwich! Would you just get a gf loaf? Do they come like that?

I don't know how I missed this post. And now I'm wondering what the other worst orifices for milk to come out of are!

The appetizers look great! The cookies look great! And I already commented on the sandwich in the other post. That's so funny they broke up. (I mean, only because there was discussion about the boyfriend; otherwise, it's not funny when people break up.)